German's Scholz kicks off election campaign

Three months before elections, Germany's embattled Olaf Scholz kicked off the campaign by attacking his conservative rival as cold towards the poor but a hothead who would play 'Russian roulette' with Moscow. The Social Democrat Scholz vowed to defeat the current frontrunner Friedrich Merz of the Christian Democrats (CDU). 'Some have already written us off,' Scholz told his SPD party faithful, before pledging a comeback at the February 23 vote. — AFP